I don't really remember El Rio De Tiempo, but the Gran Fiesta Tour is a lighthearted journey through Mexico, all the while chasing down Donald Duck. The part of this boat ride that always stands out in my mind is the beginning as you sail past the Aztec temple under the stars. The Mexico pavillion is just gorgeous inside and you would never guess that from walking by on the outside.

There's never a very long wait for this attraction, which makes it sort of a must-do especially if you have kids who are looking for a "ride" in the World Showcase.

Although some might find Gran Fiesta Tour dull and boring, the ride has always been a must-see for me. Don't ride it instead of the more marquee attractions, but try to allow time. Great during the mid-afternoon when everyone in your party is becoming cranky from the heat and the fact there are no Doll Whips in EPCOT. The addition of the Three Caballeros makes this attraction appeal to children, as well as adults.

While I will always love this attraction. It has fallen a little bit in my mind since changing from El Rio Del Tiempo to Gran Fiesta Tour. I know many called the older attraction cheesy but that was part of the allure. Plus there was never any wait!

Unfortunately they took a classic ride and got rid of a few of the best parts. My favorite part was the people trying to sell you stuff at the end, how true to a real trip to Mexico is that?! Now we've got birds . . . meh.

This is a nice place to relax. The best part of the ride is the very first part where you ride through the "city" with people eating and the market in the background. I have never had to wait long for this ride.

An ok ride that was in need of an update. Sadly, the update to the Three Caballeros didn't quite hit the mark. I'm not sure how many kids will recognize the characters other than Donald, and I'm not sure how many adults will prefer the characters to a more grown-up oriented ride (the way it was before). The scenery in the pyramid area is very pretty, but can be seen from pretty much anywhere inside the pavilion.
Worth going on as there's almost never a wait, but not worth going out of your way for.

I agree that this needed to be updated, but to me, the interposition of the Three Caballeros makes this less about Mexico, and more about Disney characters. Whether this is good or bad depends upon your perspective and expectations; I liked the old version better. This attraction is usually a walk-on, so if we ever see a line, we will bypass it and come back later.

I personally enjoy this ride, being a Donald Duck fan and all. It is a nice relaxing way to spend a few minutes, while enjoying the nicely themed scenes in the boat ride. Also, it is one of the few Disney attractions that really involve Donald Duck (Mickey's Philhar Magic is the only other one that I can think of). There is not really a long line for this attraction, at least not when I went on it.

On the negative side, it is not particularly history-oriented, but that does not necessarily condemn the ride. I personally enjoy it and try to go on at least once each time I visit WDW.

I like this ride much more now since the refurb. Don't get me wrong, I liked the old Rio del Tiempo or as my friends and I used to call it Rio del Estereotipo. It is much more friendly now and I don't feel nearly as insulted for Mexico as I used to.

I wouldn't recommend skipping some of the more iconic rides, but if you are in the Mexico Pavillion you should give it a shot.

Would you recommend the product? No |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 2

Positive aspects of the product (pros):

boat ride, scenery at beginning

Cons:

characters out of place, awkward story

This is one of the truly sad renovations in Disney World history. I don't have complaints about changing attractions, and rehabs of classics like the Haunted Mansion have been excellent. The changes to this Mexico ride just feel like a cheap way to cram characters into an attraction. It removes the engaging atmosphere of the original ride and creates a cheaply designed, dull ride.

I never pass up a boat ride at Disney World, this being one of them, mostly because it brings a relaxing balance to a busy park touring day. This ride isn't anything special, but it usually has a short line and it's a quick ride and it's "neat" so I wouldn't call it a waste of time.